Twenty-nine-year-old Talla Gueye, from Senegal, ventured into entrepreneurship hoping to find solutions to youth unemployment in his community. He has always been a take-things-into-your-own-hands kind of person: “Taking charge and seeking change to problems motivates me,” he says.  So, he started a clothing brand that would inspire and empower young people in Senegal. He named it Sigui Doxx, a term in his native Wolof language that translates to “keep your head up.”  His mother inspired the deep care for community that drove him to social entrepreneurship, as he grew up watching her exemplify compassion.   “Whenever she cooked, she put out a huge plate of food for anyone in the neighborhood. She also invited relatives who were struggling to stay with us.”   Now, Talla brings that empathetic approach and entrepreneurial attitude to his work with Mercy Ships, where he started off translating for volunteer medical crew providing free surgical care in Senegal.  

The world’s largest purpose-built civilian hospital ship, the Global Mercy, is projected to serve 150,000 patients over the next five decades – and it all begins with Amadou, a 4-year-old with a windswept leg and bowed leg from southern Senegal. With an orthopedic surgery on March 6, Amadou was the first patient to ever receive surgery on board the new ship. 

DAKAR, Senegal, May 27, 2022/APO Group/ – The Global Mercy™ ship, purpose-built by international NGO Mercy Ships to provide surgical care to populations abroad, arrived in the port of Dakar, Senegal today. While in port, the crew of the 37,000 GRT hospital ship will participate in a week of ceremonies and events to inaugurate this new vessel into service in Africa, hosted by H.E. President Macky Sall. In addition, medical and training crew will carry out capacity building sessions onboard during the month of June alongside the surgeries on the Africa Mercy® which has been docked in the Autonomous Port of Dakar since February.